Reckless Fires

by Denise River

A previous cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

After a string of bad press, I traded my celebrity past for the quaint, mountain countryside. But meeting the hottest man alive, a single dad and small-town Casanova, turns all my plans—and maybe my skirt—upside down.

How can I escape my own past, when I can’t even avoid Luke's smoldering eyes and wicked smirk?

His sweet son is almost as big of a charmer.
I’m sure this little boy will break hearts when he’s older, but it looks like his father isn’t wasting any time stealing mine.

Flirting comes as natural to him as breathing, and he steals my breath every chance he gets.

He fits right in with the mountains—rugged and manly in all the right ways, making me weak in the knees. And when he has his way with me, I melt in a puddle at his feet.

Yet, as thrilling as he is, there’s a softer side to him that makes me feel… loved.

But my past career and reputation could still tear us apart.
I’d throw them all away for the chance at happiness with him…

But what if it’s too late for a happily ever after?

251 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Denise River is an author who writes sassy and steamy contemporary romances. She lives outside of Columbus, Ohio with her husband and two kids. Her love for romance book boyfriends and the strong heroines who captivate them began when she learned to read, way before she was meant to dive into romance novels. Her books are filled with witty banter, tension, and steam that lead to unforgettable climaxes.

She loves cooking, traveling and spending time with her family. Denise enjoys the serenity of her five o'clock mornings, where most of her writing takes place. It is during these early hours that she can savor a warm cup of coffee while crafting romantic stories to delight her readers.
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/deniseriver...
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@denise.rivers...

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my lord… my first interaction with this book was that the heroine is TSTL. And it took a lot of work for that perception to change …🤦‍♀️🫣
We later find that this is partly due to her upbringing- sheltered, manipulated and controlled, so she makes some hasty (and sometimes stupid) decisions. Be warned… there are mentions of emotional and physical abuse of a minor and into adulthood which has stunted her perception of regular interactions. Seems that she’s an actor (actress?) escaping a bad relationship, her father and her manager.
Our hero is her temporary landlord (not quite sure what term to use here…), and he’s obsessed with her cleavage/bosom, mentioned multiple times…. 🙄
He’s a single father to a child who wants to be an actor (colour me shocked 😱), which is the heroines in to bonding with the son.

There were attempts at humour, and normally I ended up smiling or giggling. Somehow, they just fell a bit flat - a bit like the chemistry between the lead characters. I just wasn’t feeling it… I’m not sure how to describe it, but the start felt super clunky which really influenced my interaction with the book overall. Perhaps, because besides the romance, I felt that the story was heavily focussing on the downside of fame and boosting body positivity. Normally, I’m all for it - I love it when serious issues are addressed, but this felt like it was rammed down our throats, repeatedly.
Admittedly, I did warm up to them as a couple. Once the author focussed on them and not on her issues, the story started to flow a lot better.

Honestly though, I enjoyed the book - it was a nice little escape. It’s a good storyline, the characters themselves were good, just missing the oomph needed to really build the chemistry between the characters and make the romance feel believable.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Victoria Golby · Rating 5 out of 5]

She wants her life to stop being a lie

A lovely, well written story. The characters have great chemistry, and there’s slow-build steamy romance, humour, drama, misunderstandings, a sweet 11 year old and a great HEA.

When Lucas drove into town to collect the new client staying at his guesthouse he finds a lady being robbed and steps in to help before giving her a lift to where she's staying. Though he feels drawn to his new tenant he also wants to look after his son and make sure he's not hurt.

Serena had come to the her manager's small town after a breakup in the hope of getting away from her controlling father. She's an actress and fed up with being told what she's doing and who she's seeing. But when she meets Lucas he sweeps her off her feet and after also meeting his son and finding she cares for him too she starts to realise how she wants to live for herself.

But the media and her father won't leave her alone after her success with a small indi film, and when the press get hold of private information any hope of happiness in the small town might be lost.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. Serena has come to the small town her manager lives in to get away and be in a small indi film of his. Her father has run her ragged in her career as an actress and takes most of the money. He constantly berates her and she is tired of it. She just wants to be on her own. The problem is she doesn't know how to do anything, including turning on the stove or washer. Luke is her landlord while she is here and while they are attracted to each other, they take a long time to act on it. Part of the reason is he has a 11 year old son that he is very protective of. Serena and Alex (the son) get along great and they are learning to cook together. This is a very sweet love story, there is some hot sex, some drama that her father and old agent cause and two people who realize that they can handle anything together.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Selena is an actress liked by many but recently she has been receiving unrelenting bad press. She is also managed by her father. He is not a man who is capable of a kind word to her and he has her absolutely under his thumb. Her father. coupled with his friend, his yes man, who is also her agent become too much. Selena decides to take a break from her life that she no longer enjoys. Aided and abetted by her only friend, and manager, Stan. Stan arranged for her to stay in the mountains, Rose Haven, in a guesthouse owned by Lucas . Lucas is an uncannily gifted bike mechanic. He is not only extremely talented but very handsome and his son is wonderful. Their first meeting is a rescue. He rescues her but she is not thankful. A story filled with emotions, cerebral and physical. It also has a few sexy moments and sexual scenes for their and our enjoyment.

[L KQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tension and Passion from the Start

Lucas was always content with his life in his small town but when Selena busts into his path, there is no stopping their crash into each other. The tension was slow to build but piled on high. The heat between them was immense and could not be stopped. Exploding into a passionate and creative time, these two were great together. It was a very entertaining story.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was instantly hooked starting with the cover and then once I began to read about Selena and Lucas, I was hooked. This is a very romantic and enjoyable romance read. I felt bad for Selena because her dad was not the nicest to her telling her who to date and what to do and when. Then Lucas comes into the picture as her knight and shing amour and she's mesmerized. Lucas is a single dad raising a rambunctious son Alex who will make you smile. This is a great book with a storyline I enjoyed.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serena sets out to redefine herself after several bad relationships orchestrated by her dad. She goes to a small town in the countryside and connects with Lucas a mechanic and single dad who comes to her aide and their path begins in this charming story that had me connecting with them as I cheered them on to getting their chance for happiness.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[J.p · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adapting to a normal life is difficult for Serena as she’s a celebrity who doesn’t know the real world but with the help of the MC Lucas and his 11 yr old son she’s learning, love is slow burning but once they realise their feelings it’s a beautiful journey to follow. A lovely, romantic read with some aspects of heat. Great characters and story.

[Donna Nalbandian Woerner Homschek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, good love story. Well developed characters that you want to have an HEA. Interesting, spicy and draws you in right from the start.


I received a free copy of this book and I am voluntarily reviewing.

[Sandrina Rodrigues · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved it
It was a very good story
I really enjoyed reading it
I really loved the characters and their friendship
I really would like to read more about them.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kelsey · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is identical to Wild Eyes by Elsie Silver. I felt like I read the exact same book twice. Literally EVERYTHING is the same.